Congress Moves to Block Trump’s Deep Cuts to Science Funding

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January 12, 2026

Congress is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s proposed reductions to federal science spending, rejecting what would have been the largest pullback in research funding since World War II and signaling bipartisan support for protecting basic research.

Earlier budget plans from the White House called for cutting overall federal science funding to about $154 billion from $198 billion, a reduction of roughly 22 percent. Analysts warned that such cuts would have sharply reduced research across health care, artificial intelligence, climate science, and national security-related fields.

This week, the United States Senate Appropriations Committee released a bipartisan spending package that discards most of the proposed reductions. If approved as drafted, Congress would allocate about $188 billion for federal research, a decline of roughly 4 percent from the most recent budget rather than the sweeping cuts sought by the administration.

Alessandra Zimmermann, a budget analyst with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said Congress is clearly asserting its authority over science funding. She noted that lawmakers appear poised not only to shield research budgets but potentially increase funding for basic research, the early-stage work that underpins long-term breakthroughs.

Basic research funding could rise by more than 2 percent under the Senate plan, reversing the administration’s call last year for cuts exceeding one-third. The proposed budget also sharply diverges from the White House plan for the National Science Foundation. While Trump proposed slashing the NSF budget by more than half, to $3.9 billion, the Senate package trims funding only slightly, to about $8.75 billion.

Lawmakers from both parties framed the science funding agreement as a return to stability following last year’s government shutdown, which stemmed from partisan disputes over unrelated policy issues. Zimmermann described the collaboration as a sign that Congress is working to restore normal appropriations practices.

Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said the funding package protects investments critical to public safety, economic growth, and global competitiveness. She argued the plan rejects policies that would allow other countries to surpass the United States in scientific leadership.

Republican Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the committee, called the package fiscally responsible and said it would help maintain the nation’s competitive edge in science and technology.

Under the Senate proposal, major agencies would see relatively modest changes. NASA funding would dip slightly to $24.4 billion, while the Environmental Protection Agency would receive about $8.8 billion. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science would see an increase to $8.4 billion, and funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would remain largely unchanged.

The United States House of Representatives voted this week to approve the Senate package, bringing the two chambers closer to a final agreement. House proposals total roughly $185 billion for science, putting negotiations within a narrow range.

Analysts caution that while Congress may prevent immediate damage, recent cycles of budget uncertainty and administrative upheaval have already disrupted research programs and careers. Some federal agencies have altered how funds are distributed, consolidating grants into fewer projects and increasing competition among researchers.

Even so, science advocates say congressional action has eased fears of a severe rollback. The outcome, they argue, preserves the federal research framework that has fueled American scientific leadership for decades.

Credit: Adapted from reporting by William J. Broad, The New York Times.